Salim Munayer, Israel
Accomplishments: Salim is Academic Dean of the Bethlehem Bible College in Israel and founder/director of Musalaha—Arabic for "forgiveness and reconciliation". Musalaha works to promote reconciliation between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews according to scriptural principles. It is committed to demonstrating Christ's loving grace in one of the world's places of greatest conflict. Alumni Spotlight: Salim Munayer(CISF Newsletter Spring 2009)
Salim Munayer knows the challenges of living in the midst of the pervasive tensions found in the Middle East today. His family, who are Palestinian Christians in the Orthodox tradition can trace their roots to the land for generations. Salim was born in central Israel and grew up in a mixed community of Arabs and Jewish Israelis. After coming to faith, he spent time with both Messianic Jewish congregations and Arab Christians. He earned his undergraduate degree from Tel Aviv University and an MA in missions from Fuller Seminary. CISF helped to support him during his doctoral studies at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. Salim firmly believes that the church plays a strategic role in peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. In order to help develop strong pastors and leaders, he has served as a faculty member and dean at Bethlehem Bible College. In addition, feeling compelled to speak into the ethnic strife in his homeland, Salim founded Musalaha in 1990. Salim is convinced that the love of God calls Christians to love one another and extend God's love to those around them. That can be particularly difficult in a place like the Middle East where the ethnic and political tensions run very deep. However, compelled by the love of Christ, Salim believed that one of the first steps on the road to peace is for those in the church to learn to love one another. Musalaha (which is the Arabic word for peace) seeks to build reconciliation between Arab and Israeli Christians. The first step to reconciliation is for these two sides to meet together. Out of this vision, one of the cornerstone programs of Musalaha was born, the Desert Encounter. The desert provides a unique neutral environment where spiritual discovery, relationship building, and communication can happen. The encounter begins with one Israeli and one Arab on the back of a camel. Salim reports that most often, the two are far more afraid of the camel than they are of each other, and a new relationship begins. Ethnic hatred runs deep in a land where conflict has raged for millennia. However, by getting to know one another as human beings and not as demonized stereotypes, God begins to open doors for communication and reconciliation to take place. When the church can become more united, and take the lead in extending love and forgiveness to one another, hope for lasting peace begins. Salim has become an international speaker and the work of Musalaha has been recognized for its work in reconciliation in the Middle East. In December, Christianity Today included Salim as one of a "nucleus of Palestinian evangelicals who are committed to Christian Outreach and reconciliation across the countless political and religious boundaries in the region." Salim knows that the road to reconciliation is a difficult one, but the love of Christ compels him to join with others in offering the lasting hope that comes through the Prince of Peace. (For those looking to learn more, we invite you to read Salim's writing on the most recent round of violence in the region at www.cisf.org/posts/1598).
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